Straight Paths

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QUIT YOU LIKE MEN
Devotion for June 18, 2010


"Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong."
I Corinthians 16:13.

Paul's admonition to the members of the Corinthian church is very much needed today. The phrase, "quit you like men," means to act like men or to be manly. What a great need there is in our generation for godly men! Although there are those who might consider this phrase to be discriminatory or chauvinistic in our society, their sentiment only reinforces the need we are discussing. Obviously, this does not exclude the importance of holy women and does not negate their great contribution to the service of our Savior. However, the role and the responsibilities of men and women differ according to the unchanging Word of God. That being said, the apostle Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God calls for men to be men and to act like men.

The very phrase, "quit you like men," clearly teaches that men and women do not act the same way. This is a message that will seldom be heard in our culture. As a matter of fact, the very opposite is being heralded. The feminization of males is a part of the present day's agenda. Women are urged to demand their equal place in the workforce and occupy roles that have traditionally been held primarily by men. Increasingly, women are looking more manly and acting more manly. At the same time, men are discouraged from assuming a masculine identity. Men are praised who stay home and keep the house while the wife pursues a career, while women are belittled for being committed to being keepers at home. The clothing and jewelry of males is becoming more feminine.

There is a culture war raging in our society. The lines that reflect the distinctiveness of the genders are being blurred. More and more women are occupying the pulpits and preaching to men, which is strictly forbidden in the Bible. The media wants to portray men in the ministry as being soft and effeminate. The Word of God includes the "effeminate" with the fornicators, idolaters, drunkards, and others who will not "inherit the kingdom of God" (I Corinthians 6:10).

We need men who will act like men. We are in a spiritual war. We are to be alert; "Watch ye." We are to be determined, trustworthy, and resolute; "stand fast in the faith." We are to be spiritually "strong." This does not imply or excuse rudeness, harshness, or arrogance; but it is a cry for strength and leadership from our men.


From:    http://www.mzbc.com/devotions/

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WHAT NATION SO GREAT?
Devotion for July 04, 2010


"For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the LORD our God is in all things that we call upon him for?"
Deuteronomy 4:7.

The nation of Israel is truly a miracle story. From its beginning with Abraham's call, the occupation of Canaan, the Egyptian bondage and deliverance, the dividing of the Red Sea and crossing of the Jordan River, displacement in Babylon, and the command of Cyrus to return, theirs is a record of divine involvement. Israel witnessed the direct involvement of God in so many of their military exploits. They were entrusted with the oracles, or commandments, of God. The Messiah would come to the world through the nation of Israel. There is no "nation . . . so great" as the nation of Israel.

Having said that, we also realize that we dwell in a truly great nation that has enjoyed God's special involvement in our history. On this date in 1776, our nation declared her independence. We love our country, and say there is no "nation . . . so great" as this great nation we call America. This great nation has stood as a bastion for freedom, a refuge for the distressed, and a friend of those who wish to reject tyranny and oppression. God has been good to America.

We are confident that we owe these blessings in part to our godly heritage. In stating their grievances in The Declaration of Independence, the signers were "appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world." James Madison was once quoted as saying, "The future and success of America is not in this Constitution, but in the laws of God upon which this Constitution is founded." Benjamin Rush, signer of the Declaration of Independence, was asked, "Are you a democrat or an aristocrat?" He answered, "I am neither. I am a Christocrat. I believe He, alone, who created and redeemed man is qualified to govern him."

America is not a perfect nation, but to us, she is the greatest nation on earth. It is a great privilege to be a citizen of the United States of America. We should be thankful for the freedoms that we enjoy. We should be grateful for the protection we have been afforded. We should be committed to upholding the principles on which this nation was founded. We should be prayerful for a true spiritual awakening and a revival of righteousness in our country. What nation is there so great as this great nation we call home?

From:    http://www.mzbc.com/devotions/

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THE BUTLER FORGOT HIM
Devotion for July 16, 2010


"Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgat him."
Genesis 40:23.

Joseph is one of the truly outstanding men we meet in the Scripture. The way he responded to mistreatment and adversity continues to encourage and inspire. Our text finds Joseph spending time in prison for a crime he did not commit. At the same time Joseph was in prison, Pharaoh put two of his officers, the chief of the bakers and the chief of the butlers in the same prison. While there, Joseph interpreted dreams for both of them. The baker would be hanged, and the butler would be released. Joseph asked the chief butler to remember him to the Pharaoh when he was released. As our text tells us, the chief butler did not "remember Joseph, but forgat him." It seems that everything that could go wrong, as far as Joseph was concerned, did go wrong. The one person who had the opportunity to put in a good word to Pharaoh for him forgot Joseph. It would be two more years before another series of events would bring Joseph before Pharaoh.

This lapse of memory on the part of the chief butler brings several things to our attention. We see that men may fail us. The chief butler had every reason to remember Joseph to Pharaoh, but somehow it slipped his mind. God uses men in so many ways to be a source of blessing to us, but it is a mistake to put our faith in men alone. All men, even the best men, are only human. Men can make mistakes. Men may let us down. I have known many faithful men in my life, but it would not be wise to put all our confidence in men.

Our ultimate faith should always be in God, not in those who serve Him. We do not trust in the arm of the flesh. We dare not put our faith in our programs or plans, but in the person of God Almighty. "It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man" (Psalm 118:.

We also see in the failure of the chief butler a lesson concerning the consistent triumph of Joseph. How did he keep bouncing back when his family and peers failed him? Even though men let him down, Joseph continued to walk with God and serve people. He did not let his disappointments bring him to despair. He sought the assistance of men, but he would not allow man to be his ultimate source. He made his needs known to men, but His faith remained in God. Do not become bitter or disillusioned because someone has failed you. It is the Lord that we depend on.


From:    http://www.mzbc.com/devotions/

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QUIT YOU LIKE MEN
Devotion for June 18, 2010


"Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong."
I Corinthians 16:13.

I looked it up and examined the use of the word, I found only 2 uses of the word quit in the bible.  The first one being greek in 1 Cor,  it literally means to show ones self as a man by being brave. 

The second use is in 1 Sam 4:9 Be strong, and quit yourselves like men, O ye Philistines, that ye be not servants unto the Hebrews, as they have been to you: quit yourselves like men, and fight.

this use is hebrew and it means to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out   

This essentially is the same thing, but seems to be more descriptive.  It doesn't leave any room for fear, cowardice or wimpyness. 

In Both instances it suggests that all men act like warriors.  The bravery, fierce standing, ready at all times to face anything.   One thing in the past that was notable was the warriors armour.  All armour shielded the warrior in the front heavily.  the back was the weakest place.   The reason is that protection was offered for the brave the fighter the warrior, and only death was offered to the coward, the weak, the one who turns tail and runs. 

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DON'T GET SPOILED
Devotion for November 21, 2010


"Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ." Colossians 2:8.

The Bible is filled with warnings, and our text today is given to warn us. The word "beware" is calling us "to caution, to take heed." There is a real and imminent danger that we need to be alerted about.

The warning is that men might "spoil you." The word "spoil" describes being led away as booty after combat. The spoils of battle are those things that the enemy gains as a result of winning a skirmish. We are indeed in a war between good and evil, between truth and error, between God and Satan. God does not want us to be the spoils of battle.

How are men spoiled? Concerning this spiritual warfare, the Scripture teaches us that the weapons that strive to defeat us are ideas or beliefs. Our text uses this language, "philosophy, and vain deceit, after the traditions of men," and "rudiments of the world." People become casualties of war through deception and believing things that are not true. The enemy would prefer that we hold to "traditions of men" rather than the Word of God. Many people are being spoiled in our day. The teaching of evolution instead of the truth of creation is spoiling children. False prophets are spoiling simple followers who accept their traditions that are not based upon the truths of the Bible. Bitterness and unforgiveness are spoiling those who choose to hold to grudges rather than accept God's grace to forgive. Humanism, secularism, and materialism are spoiling multitudes.

God wants us to be warned. A little leaven has the power and potential to leaven the whole lump. To avoid being spoiled, we are to build our lives on Christ, not on the wisdom of this world. The verse that precedes our text tells us to be "Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught" (Colossians 2:7).

People are spoiled through error when they do not know, or have not believed, the truth. Because they are not established in the faith, they are susceptible to false teaching. The great battle that is being described is a war of words. False imaginations, unscriptural ideas, and lies against the Word of God are the weapons of the enemy. To prevent being spoiled, we must arm ourselves with the truth, recognizing and resisting every falsehood.


From:    http://www.mzbc.com/devotions/

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HAVING NO HOPE
Devotion for January 19, 2011


"That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world."
Ephesians 2:12.

In describing the spiritual condition of the Ephesian believers before they came to Christ, Paul used the words, "having no hope." Hopelessness is a dreaded condition. He did not say, "having little hope," but "having no hope." This is the desperate plight of every unsaved person. Outside of the grace and mercy of God and salvation through Jesus Christ, they have no hope. The Bible is very plain about this basic and fundamental fact; there is no salvation without Christ. People have no promise or assurance of help, deliverance, or forgiveness. They are "without God in the world."

It did not say that they are hopeless because they are without religion. Most people in the world are religious, even if they are trusting in a flawed or completely false religion. Suicide bombers are religious. Those who practice infant baptism are religious, but they have a false hope as they trust in their sprinkling for salvation. Humanists are religious, as they have made gods of the will of man. Buddhists, Hindus, and cultists are religious. But according to the Bible, those without Christ are without hope. Their religion provides no hope for their eternal souls.

But thanks be unto God, we have an enduring hope because of our faith in Jesus Christ! Our hope is not anchored in a "religion" but in a Person. We have been given great hope through the promises of the Word of God. Christ abides in our lives. We have been made nigh by the blood of Jesus Christ. We have been adopted into God's forever family. The blood of Jesus Christ has washed us and cleansed us. We, who were hopelessly lost, are filled with joy and hope through believing!

The world we live in offers no genuine hope. The occupants of this society, and the cultures of the world, are for the most part, hopeless. The only true and meaningful hope is found in Jesus Christ. Because we have found hope, we have a message of hope to share with others. May God help usâ€"those who have been redeemed from a state of hopelessness to a position of peace and assuranceâ€"resolve that we will, with our best efforts, spread this message of hope to a world that has no genuine hope.

From:    http://www.mzbc.com/devotions/